This link will take you to the page for agendas, minutes, and budget for the Board of Supervisors: Link

March 11, 2025 BOS Agenda

You may check the Township Calendar for meeting dates here (Website) or a PDF Calendar.

Board of Supervisors Meetings Live Stream Link (<– click here)
The East Manchester Township Board of Supervisors are providing viewing access to its meeting via live streaming on youtube.com. Channel Name @EastManchesterTownship (See link above). This will allow the public to view the Board of Supervisors meeting live and will store on YouTube for a controlled amount of time. The meeting link will not allow public participation nor the submission of questions or comments. If any citizen would like to provide public comment during a meeting, they are encouraged to attend the meeting in person. The Township cannot guarantee that there will not be interruptions in the link or recording due to technical difficulties or failures. To ensure full access to any meeting, citizens are encouraged to attend in person.

Each spring the Public Works Department sweeps the Township streets. Sweeping helps protect our waterways and keeps our neighborhoods clean and livable. Debris on the streets can clog storm drains and pollute our lakes and rivers. We respectfully request that you keep vehicles off the street during daytime hours, Monday thru Friday during this time. Crews will post “No Parking” signs at least 24 hours before sweeping residential streets. Parking will be banned from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the day of sweeping. Thank you.

Spring street sweeping begins on Monday, March 10, 2024 and it takes about 5 weeks to complete.

Which streets will be swept?

All streets owned and adopted by the Township will be swept. Streets in new subdivisions under construction will be the responsibility of the subdivision developer. Private streets are the responsibility of the condominium/townhouse development owner.

How can residents help?

To provide efficient and quick sweeping, our equipment needs to get to the curb without obstructions. Please observe the following:

• Avoid Monday to Friday daytime parking on your street if possible.
• Do not put your garbage/recycling/yard waste containers on the street.
• Please do not place leaves or yard waste within the street. You will receive an enforcement notice for this.
• Small stones on the curb and sidewalks, can be swept onto the street.
• Safety is important for everyone, so please watch children carefully when sweepers are on the roadway.

When will the sweeping be finished?

The spring street sweeping program typically takes about 4-5 weeks to complete and could be delayed by cold or wet weather, parked vehicles or excessive amounts of winter anti-skid material.

Your cooperation and patience is greatly appreciated!

• EMC – Michael Fischer was the Emergency Management Coordinator for his first full year. He remains the coordinator, and many improvements have occurred with the Emergency Management Agency from his leadership.
• Ordinance Amendments – The Township conducted an extensive review of all of the ordinances. Some were minor changes to fix errors or clean up the ordinance, while others were great additions from past experiences or requests from the residents.  Major changes were made to the Stormwater Ordinance, Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and Traffic requirements for land developments. The Township eliminated the Drug Paraphernalia Ordinance to meet the growth of the era. The Zoning Ordinance continues to be reviewed into 2025 and will hopefully have approval shortly as it will benefit front yard agricultural sales for residents due to the expensive nature of purchasing from stores. This will help promote growing and buying local.
• Volunteer Service Tax Refund Program – This ordinance incentivizes individuals to join and be retained with the local volunteer fire companies that directly service East Manchester Township.
• Small Cell Wireless Facilities Ordinance – This was adopted to address the expansion of phone companies from 4G to 5G.
• Bill Pay Ordinance – The Township took a step to the future and approved some bills to be paid electronically instead of by check. This was especially needed now that most utility companies give less than 30 days to pay the bill even when the bill is paperless. Additionally, since the pay periods are bi-weekly, and due less than 30 days from receiving the bill, the Township would obtain late fees occasionally.
• Public Comment Policy – The Township adopted a public comment policy to keep order in the meeting. This is a common policy throughout municipalities and was overdue. 
• EMT Phase II Building Project – The Township building renovation and building addition completed on time and under budget. Staff successfully operated within a trailer for the majority of 2024 and completed a successful move to the finished building in September. Lastly, with the addition, the Township has a new digital sign for an added way to update the public and in a new location so to not block site distance and create safety hazards.
• Live Streaming – With the Township renovation/addition, the AV equipment was installed, and the Township now streams the Board of Supervisor meetings live. Additionally, the videos are stored on YouTube @EastManchesterTownship at an attempt to keep the videos for at least a year or until the storage capacity on YouTube is reached.  
• Skid Loader – The Township purchased a Cleveland Brothers CAT skid loader with attachments to move dirt, mill blacktop and it includes a broom for small projects.
• Bortek Walk-Behind Scrubber/System – This was purchased in order to maintain cleanliness of the brand new garage floors and to extend the life of it.
• Street Sweeper – The Township authorized purchase of a street sweeper to use general funds in the year 2025. Renting, leasing and financing were all investigated as well as the amount of time used and what it gets used for were assessed.
• Bartlett Drive and Espresso Way – Both roads were paved as they have not been paved in years and being that they are truck routes they were overdue.
• Micro Surfacing – The developments of Greenfield, Greenwood, and Dauberton; Forge Hill Rd., and the south side of Canal Rd Extension were all micro surfaced.
• Leaves Collected – The Township Public Works Department collected and disposed of 791 cubic yards from the Township Residents.
• Mandatory scheduling of large items with Republic Services – Staff requested the board to require residents to call ahead and schedule large items to cut down on the phone calls/complaint forms/walk-ins to the Township office to inquire about missed large item pickup. This has certainly been effective.
• Final Land Development Plan for proposed Sheetz Store #233 rebuild – This plan was approved and recorded in 2024, and will be finished construction in Spring 2025.
• Final Land Development Plan for Americold “Drop Lot” located at 285 Steamboat Boulevard – This plan was approved and recorded in 2024 and has the potential to be constructed in 2025.
• Road Improvement Funds – The Township closed the deals with two developer’s that do not reside within the Township, but whose traffic will adversely affect the Township, securing funds to make the necessary improvements based off traffic studies conducted. Improvements to Willow Springs Lane and Espresso Way traffic signal will be under way within a few years in connection with the Canal Road Betterment Project making Canal Road a truck route.
• Polling Location – The Township Board of Supervisors were greatly involved in ensuring the polling place would remain at the Northeastern Middle School after talks of it being moved to the school district’s administration building.
• Canal Road vs. Canal Road Extension mailing addresses – Google Maps apparently plots Canal Road Extension on Kinsely’s private driveway to Shindler Elevator.  It was noted that Apple Maps has it correctly plotted. “Extension” was never a part of Canal Road formally, but somehow, through time, most of the properties on Canal Road added the Extension. Because of this, the Township placed a street sign to include Extension for mailing purposes to match what the majority of residents were using. After the Locust Point Road project, with the recorded plans and right away agreements, Canal Road was reflected without Extension, due to its legal name not including it. It appears receiving packages has become an on and off problem since the project, therefore, the Board changed the name officially to Canal Road Extension.
• Budget – The Township did a detailed review of the General Budget to make it more accurate and secured a loan to maintain 40% operating reserves, being fiscally responsible. Each account line item was determined by looking at five years of actual numbers as well as considering economic trends. In the past revenues have been grossly underestimated to be very conservative, while the proposed budget now shows closer to actual trends, while still being conservative.
• Fire Hydrant Tax – Rate increase from 0.11 mils to 0.15 mils – The Fire Hydrant Tax is separate from the General Fund as it is a Special Tax that goes into its own fund to pay the York Water Company for water to the Fire Hydrants. Not everyone pays this tax, only those within 780 ft of a Fire Hydrant as mandated by the Pennsylvania 2nd Class Township Code. Last time local millage has been changed was in 2014. It went from .15mils to .11mils because the Township reached a nice sized fund that could help supply years’ worth of the bills while set at a lower tax rate. For 10yrs the fund has been maintained by that past surplus and the interest from PLIGIT. In 2024 the Township will have a deficiency in the Fire Hydrant Fund by around $13,151, which was unexpected because from 2014 to 2022, the York Water Bills have been between $60k and under $70k; in 2023 the total bills were approximately $71,103; and now in 2024 the bills have jumped to $87,445. Therefore, to cover the deficiency and the bills from the York Water Company, the millage was increased to 0.15 mils.

At the August 13, 2024 Board of Supervisor’s meeting, the Volunteer Services Tax Relief Ordinance passed unanimously for the tax year beginning January 1, 2024. An amendment was passed on March 11, 2025 to address some errors, verbiage, the total cap for qualifying for both municipal EIT and real estate was removed, and the deadline for applications has changed to March 1 beginning in the year 2026 for the 2025 tax year.

Application and Documents

• Volunteer Services Tax Credit/Refund Application – Updated 1/30/25. This application is different from County’s because they do not offer an earned income credit/refund. This application is tailored to the York Adams Tax Bureau requirements. Thank you.
• Important Dates/Details
• Click here for the full ordinance and criteria. – The ordinance contains very specific details and is a great source to follow.

Deadlines

January 15^th – Chief of both companies shall submit a notarized eligibility list to the Township Secretary and so note with the submission where the list is posted in their respective agency’s facilities. Lists shall not be accepted by the Township after January 15 of each year for the preceding year. List should include the following:

1. The chief shall annually transmit to the Township a notarized eligibility list of all volunteers that have met the minimum criteria for the program.
2. Taxpayer’s complete name, address, city, state, zip code, and the last four digits of their SSN. 
3. Specific records of each volunteer’s activities in a service log to establish credits under the program.
4. Executed Affirmation Notary Block – Under Oath – Swearing or affirming that the Eligibility List is correct and the information contained within the document is true and accurate.

March 1^st – Volunteers that have met the minimum criteria of the program shall sign and submit the Township’s application for certification to their chief. The chief shall sign the application if the volunteer has met the minimum criteria of the program and forward it to the Township Secretary. Applications shall not be accepted by the Township after March 1 of each year for the preceding year. Applications shall include the following:

1. If the volunteer is seeking any refund against the real property tax on qualified real property, a true and correct stamped receipt or Certification from the Local real estate tax collector showing the paid Local real property taxes for the tax year in which the application is being filed.
2. Photocopy of applicants’ driver’s license
3. Documentation that the tax paid was for qualified real property as defined by the ordinance
4. Proof of volunteer service with Eligible Agency and if injured updated documentation from a licensed provider stating that the injury still exists and prevents them from qualifying as an active volunteer per section 212-71.I of the East Manchester Township Ordinances. 

At the December 10, 2025 Board of Supervisor (BOS) meeting, the Board further discussed and approved a resolution to increase the Fire Hydrant Tax from .11mils to .15mils. At the November 27, 2024 BOS alternate meeting, staff explained that the Fire Hydrant Tax is separate from the General Fund as it is a Special Tax that goes into its own fund to pay the York Water Company for water to the Fire Hydrants. Not everyone pays this tax, only those within 780 ft of a Fire Hydrant as mandated by the Pennsylvania 2nd Class Township Code. Last time local millage has been changed was in 2014. It decreased from .15mils to .11mils because the Township reached a large sized fund that could help supply years’ worth of the bills while set at a lower tax rate. For 10yrs the fund has been maintained by that past surplus and the interest from PLIGIT. In 2024 the Township will have a deficiency in the Fire Hydrant Fund by between $8k and $13,151, which was unexpected. From 2014 to 2022, the York Water Bills have been between $60k and under $70k; in 2023 the total bills were approximately $71,103; and now in 2024 the bills jumped to $87,445. Staff investigated other millage rates to see what would make more sense. Therefore, total assessments (property assessments within 780ft of hydrants in the Township) as of January 2024 are $671,090,727. Statistics show that the very large majority of taxes get paid at discount so below shows you what that looks like if paid at 2% discount.

o          .11mils = .00011 x $671,090,727 = $73,819; Discount: $72,342 (current rate)

o          .12mils = .00012 x $671,090,727 = $80,530; Discount: $78,919

o          .13mils = .00013 x $671,090,727 = $87,241; Discount: $85,496

o          .14mils = .00014 x $671,090,727 = $93,952; Discount: $92,072

o          .15mils = .00015 x $671,090,727 = $100,663; Discount: $98,649 (approved rate)

Staff’s conclusion is since the bills to York Water stayed within the $60k range from 2014-2022 and then went to the $70k range in 2023, and the jumped significantly to $87.5k in 2024, staff recommended setting the rate to .15mils to get the funds gathered for the unpredictable bill increases. If the Board went with .14mils the township will likely see around the discount price of taxes paid and that is just $5k more than what 2024’s bills ended up being. Additionally, at .14 mils, it would take a some time to cover the 2024 deficit, and the millage would likely need to increase sooner, therefore, .15 mils is justifiable. To give an idea of the cost increase, an example is if a property is assessed at $250k, currently the Fire Hydrant Tax is $27.50. At .15mils, the tax increase by $10 to $37.50.

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